Biology Commons^™

Draft Genome Sequence Of Proteus Mirabilis Umb1310, Isolated From The Female Urinary Tract, Olivia Allen, Taylor Miller-Ensminger, Adelina Voukadinova, Alan J. Wolfe, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

Proteus mirabilis is a Gram-negative bacterium that is linked to common complications within the urinary tract. Here, we present the draft genome for P. mirabilis UMB1310, which was isolated from the urine of a woman with a urinary tract infection.

Draft Genome Sequence Of Klebsiella Pneumoniae Umb7779, Isolated From The Female Urinary Tract, Pavan Bhimalli, Taylor Miller-Ensminger, Adelina Voukadinova, Alan J. Wolfe, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a pathogenic bacterium commonly responsible for urinary tract infections (UTIs). Here, we report the draft genome sequence of K. pneumoniae strain UMB7779, isolated from catheterized urine of a woman with a recurrent UTI.

Draft Genome Sequence Of Corynebacterium Coyleae Umb8490, Isolated From The Female Urinary Tract, Abbas Ali Khan, Taylor Miller-Ensminger, Adelina Voukadinova, Alan J. Wolfe, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

Here, we present the draft genome sequence for Corynebacterium coyleae UMB8490, isolated from the catheterized urine of a female with overactive bladder symptoms. The size of the genome is 2,483,223 bp assembled in 62 contigs with an observed GC content of 61.42%.

Draft Genome Sequence Of Antibiotic-Resistant Enterococcus Faecalis Strain Umb0843, Isolated From The Female Urinary Tract, Natalia Purta, Taylor Miller-Ensminger, Adelina Voukadinova, Alan J. Wolfe, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

Here, we introduce the 2.8-Mbp draft genome of Enterococcus faecalis strain UMB0843, isolated from the female urinary tract. E. faecalis is a leading cause of nosocomial infections, and many strains are often resistant to multiple antibiotics. We focus our genome analysis on the multiple genes involved in antibiotic resistance in this strain.

Draft Genome Sequence Of Lactobacillus Jensenii Strain Umb7766, Isolated From The Female Bladder, Taylor Miller-Ensminger, Alan J. Wolfe, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

Lactobacillus jensenii is a beneficial and prominent community member within both the vaginal and female urinary microbiota. As more genomes for L. jensenii strains are made publicly available, we gain more knowledge about this beneficial community member. Here, we present the draft genome sequence of L. jensenii UMB7766, which was isolated from a urine specimen from a catheterized female patient with recurrent urinary tract infections.

Draft Genome Sequence Of Lactobacillus Jensenii Umb0847, Isolated From The Female Urinary Tract, Ella West-Pelak, Taylor Miller-Ensminger, Adelina Voukadinova, Alan J. Wolfe, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

Lactobacillus jensenii is a protective bacterium native to the female urinary tract. Here, we present the 1.6-Mbp draft genome for Lactobacillus jensenii UMB0847, isolated from a catheterized urine sample obtained from a pregnant female.

Draft Genome Sequence Of Lactobacillus Mulieris Umb9245, Isolated From The Female Bladder, Lidia Ramotowski, Taylor Miller-Ensminger, Adelina Voukadinova, Alan J. Wolfe, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

Lactobacillus jensenii is an anaerobic bacterium found in the urogenital tract that is known to prevent common vaginal infections. Recently, it was divided into two species, L. jensenii and L. mulieris. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of L. mulieris UMB9245, with a genome length of 1,723,383 bp assembled into 52 contigs.

Draft Genome Sequence Of Klebsiella Pneumoniae Umb8492, Isolated From The Female Urinary Tract, Suma Gondi, Taylor Miller-Ensminger, Adelina Voukadinova, Alan J. Wolfe, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

Here, we present the draft genome sequence for Klebsiella pneumoniae strain UMB8492, isolated from a urine sample from a female patient with overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms. The assembled genome has a length of 5,660,575 bp, a G+C content of 57.19%, and an N50 value of 136,315 bp.

Draft Genome Sequence Of Staphylococcus Epidermidis Umb7765, Isolated From The Urobiome Of A Woman With Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection, Lucy Kemper, Taylor Miller-Ensminger, Adelina Voukadinova, Alan J. Wolfe, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a Gram-positive bacterium that is resistant to many antibiotics. Here, we present the 2.5-Mb draft genome of S. epidermidis UMB7765, isolated from a voided urine sample from a female with recurrent urinary tract infections.

Draft Genome Sequence Of Citrobacter Freundii Ufmg-H9, Isolated From Urine From A Healthy Bovine Heifer (Gyr Breed), Silvia Giannattasio-Ferraz, Laura Maskeri, André P. Oliveira, Edel F. Barbosa-Stancioli, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

Citrobacter freundii is a pathogen associated with antibiotic resistance and severe infections in humans. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of C. freundii strain UFMG-H9, an isolate from urine from a healthy Gyr heifer.

Draft Genome Sequence Of Aeromonas Caviae Ufmg-H8, Isolated From Urine From A Healthy Bovine Heifer (Gyr Breed), Silvia Giannattasio-Ferraz, Laura Maskeri, André P. Oliveira, Edel F. Barbosa-Stancioli, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

Aeromonas caviae is an emerging pathogen in humans, causing intestinal infections. Here, we report Aeromonas caviae strain UFMG-H8, isolated from the urine of a healthy heifer (Gyr breed).

Antibiotic Producing Microbes Found In Soil, Rediat Ephrem, Dr. Lori Scott

Identifying and Characterizing Novel Antibiotic Producing Microbes From the Soil

The antibiotic crisis is a growing concern as more and more diseases are becoming untreatable due to antibiotic resistance. Of all antibiotic resistant bacteria, the ESKAPE strains are the most dangerous because of their association with higher mortality rates and multidrug resistance. In this study, ESKAPE-like strains will be studied as they are similar to the ESKAPE strains and provide comparable data in a safe manner. Soil samples are evaluated to test the presence of any microbes that may be antibiotic producers. This project is in collaboration with the Tiny Earth Project Initiative (TEPI), which is a global network of …

Complete Genome Sequences Of Streptococcus Mitis Strains Isolated From The Oral Cavity And Urogenital Tract Of A Woman And Her Male Sexual Partner, Carine R. Mores, Travis K. Price, Bridget Brassil, Catherine Putonti, Alan J. Wolfe

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

Streptococcus mitis is a member of the mitis group of the genus Streptococcus, which includes commensal species of the oral cavity and upper respiratory tract. Here, we report 39 complete genome sequences of S. mitis strains isolated from the oral cavity and urogenital tract of a woman and her male sexual partner.

Draft Genome Sequences Of Two Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Isolates From The Female Urogenital Tract, Genevieve Johnson, Carine R. Mores, Alan J. Wolfe, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacterium that has the ability to survive in and readily adapt to a variety of environmental conditions. Here, we report 2 genome sequences of P. aeruginosa strains, UMB1046 and UMB5686, isolated from the female urogenital tract.

Effects Of A Neonicotinoid Insecticide On The Growth Of Honey Bee Gut Microbes, Macee Mitchell, Daniel Franzese, Taylor Morales, Shane Lucht, Jesse Steele, Jenifer Walke

2020 Symposium Posters

The gut microbiome plays an essential role in the overall health of organisms. However, the presence and abundance of these microbes may be altered by environmental factors, such as exposure to pesticides. The goals of this project were to understand 1) the prevalence of pesticide residues in honey bees in eastern Washington, and 2) the impact of pesticides to the honey bee gut microbiome. Accordingly, we tested bees from 24 hives among six sites across eastern Washington. High-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) was used to detect the presence and concentration of six commonly used agricultural pesticides: Carbaryl, Chlorpyrifos, Coumaphos, Cypermethrin, …

Identification And Characterization Of Differentially Expressed Genes In Caenorhabditis Elegans In Response To Pathogenic And Nonpathogenic Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia, Leah J. Radeke, Michael A. Herman

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an emerging nosocomial pathogen that causes infection in immunocompromised patients. S. maltophilia isolates are genetically diverse, contain diverse virulence factors, and are variably pathogenic within several host species. Members of the Stenotrophomonas genus are part of the native microbiome of C. elegans, being found in greater relative abundance within the worm than its environment, suggesting that these bacteria accumulate within C. elegans. Thus, study of the C. elegans-Stenotrophomonas interaction is of both medical and ecological significance. To identify host defense mechanisms, we analyzed the C. elegans transcriptomic response to S. maltophilia strains of varying pathogenicity: K279a, …

Factors Affecting The Microbiome Of Ixodes Scapularis And Amblyomma Americanum, R. Jory Brinkerhoff, Chris Clark, Kelly Ocasio, David T. Gauthier, Wayne L. Hynes

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The microbial community composition of disease vectors can impact pathogen establishment and transmission as well as on vector behavior and fitness. While data on vector microbiota are accumulating quickly, determinants of the variation in disease vector microbial communities are incompletely understood. We explored the microbiome of two human-biting tick species abundant in eastern North America (Amblyomma americanum and Ixodes scapularis) to identify the relative contribution of tick species, tick life stage, tick sex, environmental context and vertical transmission to the richness, diversity, and species composition of the tick microbiome. We sampled 89 adult and nymphal Ixodes scapularis (N …

Testing Protocols For Surveying Captive Limulus Polyphemus Microbiomes, Fabian Leija, Sean A. Neiswenter Dr.

LSAMP Poster Presentations

Limulus polyphemus, the Atlantic horseshoe crab, is a marine arthropod that primarily resides in the shallow intertidal zone of brackish water, water where high salinity seawater meets fresh water. The ecological niche that horseshoe crabs reside in makes them an ideal animal to be placed in an aquarium touch-tank, only needing a shallow pool of water to live comfortably as well as having a tough chitin carapace that won’t be easily damaged by visitors touching them. However, the implications of these human-animal interactions are severely unexplored with limited research being conducted regarding touch-tanks. In contrast, the consequences and hygienic practices …

Development And Characterization Of An Antimicrobial Polydopamine Coating For Conservation Of Humpback Whales., Ariana Tyo, Sonja Welch, Maureen Hennenfent, Pegah Kord Fooroshani, Bruce P Lee, Rupak Rajachar

Michigan Tech Publications

Migration patterns of humpback whales have been monitored using 316L stainless steel (SS) satellite telemetry tags. The potential for tissue infection and necrosis is increased if the bacteria, naturally a part of the diverse microbiome on the skin of humpback whales, can adhere to and colonize the surface of the tags. Polydopamine (pDA) has the potential to prevent the adhesion of one of the most prevalent bacterial strains on the surface of the skin of cetaceans (

Glycolic Acid Utilization In Two Species Of Marine Bacteria, Erik S. Timsak

STAR Program Research Presentations

Interactions between bacteria and phytoplankton are crucial for the cycling of organic matter in marine environments. Around 50% of organic carbon taken up by marine bacteria is converted into inorganic carbon. The uptake of organic carbon by marine bacteria exuded from phytoplankton is a key factor in regulating the marine carbon cycle. One such molecule that is exuded by phytoplankton and then uptaken by marine bacteria is called glycolate - the anion of glycolic acid, a two caron molecule. Glycolate is exuded by phytoplankton during photorespiration and 10-50% of dissolved organic carbon in marine environments is comprised of glycolate. Additionally, …

Host Genetics And Geography Influence Microbiome Composition In The Sponge Ircinia Campana, Sarah M. Griffiths, Rachael E. Antwis, Luca Lenzi, Anita Lucaci, Donald C. Behringer, Mark J. Butler, Richard F. Preziosi

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

1. Marine sponges are host to large, diverse communities of microorganisms. These microbiomes are distinct among sponge species and from seawater bacterial communities, indicating a key role of host identity in shaping its resident microbial community. However, the factors governing intraspecific microbiome variability are underexplored, and may shed light on the evolutionary and ecological relationships between host and microbiome.

2. Here, we examined the influence of genetic variation and geographic location on the composition of the Ircinia campana microbiome.

3. We developed new microsatellite markers to genotype I. campana from two locations in the Florida Keys, USA, and characterised their …

Green Infrastructure Design Influences Communities Of Urban Soil Bacteria, Jessica Lee Joyner, Jordan Kerwin, Maha Deeb, George Lozefski, Bharath Prithiviraj, Anna Paitseva, John Mclaughin, Peter M. Groffman, Zhongqi Cheng, Theodore R. Muth

Publications and Research

The importance of natural ecosystem processes is often overlooked in urban areas. Green Infrastructure (GI) features have been constructed in urban areas as elements to capture and treat excess urban runoff while providing a range of ancillary benefits, e.g., ecosystem processes mediated by microorganisms that improve air and water quality, in addition to the associations with plant and tree rhizospheres. The objective of this study was to characterize the bacterial community and diversity in engineered soils (Technosols) of five types of GI in New York City; vegetated swales, right of way bioswales (ROWB; including street-side infiltration systems and enhanced tree …

The Effects Of A Bacterial Endotoxin On Behavior And Sensory-Cns-Motor Circuits In Drosophila Melanogaster, Oscar Istas, Abigail Greenhalgh, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

The effect of bacterial sepsis on animal behavior and physiology is complex due to direct and indirect actions. The most common form of bacterial sepsis in humans is from gram-negative bacterial strains. The endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) and/or associated peptidoglycans from the bacteria are the key agents to induce an immune response, which then produces a cascade of immunological consequences. However, there are direct actions of LPS and associated peptidoglycans on cells which are commonly overlooked. This study showed behavioral and neural changes in larval Drosophila fed commercially obtained LPS from Serratia marcescens. Locomotor behavior was not altered, but feeding …

Transitions In Microbial Communities Along A 1600 Km Freshwater Trophic Gradient, Mark J. Rozmarynowycz, Benjamin F.N. Beall, George S. Bullerjahn, Gaston E. Small, Robert W. Sterner, Sandra S. Brovold, Nigel A. D'Souza, Susan B. Watson, Robert Michael L. Mckay

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

This study examined vertically-resolved patterns in microbial community structure across a freshwater trophic gradient extending 1600 km from the oligotrophic waters of Lake Superior to the eutrophic waters of Lake Erie, the most anthropogenically influenced of the Laurentian Great Lakes system. Planktonic bacterial communities clustered by Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) on UniFrac distance matrices into four groups representing the epilimnion and hypolimnion of the upper Great Lakes (Lakes Superior and Huron), Lake Superior's northern bays (Nipigon and Black bays), and Lake Erie. The microbes within the upper Great Lakes hypolimnion were the most divergent of these groups with elevated abundance …

Diverse Microbial Communities Hosted By The Model Carnivorous Pitcher Plant Sarracenia Purpurea: Analysis Of Both Bacterial And Eukaryotic Composition Across Distinct Host Plant Populations, Jacob J. Grothjan, Erica B. Young

Biological Sciences Faculty Articles

Background. The pitcher plant Sarracenia purpurea supplements nutrient acquisition through carnivory, capturing insect prey which are digested by a food web community of eukaryotes and bacteria. While the food web invertebrates are well studied, and some recent studies have characterized bacteria, detailed genetic analysis of eukaryotic diversity is lacking. This study aimed to compare eukaryotic and bacterial composition and diversity of pitcher communities within and between populations of host plants in nearby but distinct wetland habitats, and to characterize microbial functions across populations and in comparison with another freshwater community.

Methods. Pitcher fluid was sampled from the two …

Phylogenetic, Genomic, And Biogeographic Characterization Of Anovel And Ubiquitous Marine Invertebrate-Associated Rickettsiales Parasite,Candidatus Aquarickettsia Rohweri, Gen. Nov., Sp. Nov, J. Grace Klinges, Stephanie M. Rosales, Ryan Mcminds, Koty H. Sharp

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Bacterial symbionts are integral to the health and homeostasis of invertebrate hosts. Notably, members of the Rickettsiales genus Wolbachia influence several aspects of the fitness and evolution of their terrestrial hosts, but few analogous partnerships have been found in marine systems. We report here the genome, phylogenetics, and biogeography of a ubiquitous and novel Rickettsiales species that primarily associates with marine organisms. We previously showed that this bacterium was found in scleractinian corals, responds to nutrient exposure, and is associated with reduced host growth and increased mortality. This bacterium, like other Rickettsiales, has a reduced genome indicative of a parasitic …

Periphytic Algae Decouple Fungal Activity From Leaf Litter Decomposition Via Negative Priming, Halvor M. Halvorson, Jacob R. Barry, Matthew B. Lodato, Robert H. Findlay, Steven N. Francoeur, Kevin A. Kuehn

Faculty Publications

1. Well‐documented in terrestrial settings, priming effects describe stimulated heterotrophic microbial activity and decomposition of recalcitrant carbon by additions of labile carbon. In aquatic settings, algae produce labile exudates which may elicit priming during organic matter decomposition, yet the directions and mechanisms of aquatic priming effects remain poorly tested.

2. We tested algal‐induced priming during decomposition of two leaf species of contrasting recalcitrance, Liriodendron tulipifera and Quercus nigra, in experimental streams under light or dark conditions. We measured litter‐associated algal, bacterial, and fungal biomass and activity, stoichiometry, and litter decomposition rates over 43 days.

3. Light increased algal biomass and …

Synthesis And Preliminary Antimicrobial Analysis Of Isatin- Ferrocene And Isatin-Ferrocenyl Chalcone Conjugates, Amandeep Singh, Grant Fong, Jenny Liu, Yun-Hsuan Wu, Kevin Chang, William Park, Jihwan Kim, Christina Tam, Luisa W. Cheng, Kirkwood M. Land, Vipan Kumar

College of the Pacific Faculty Articles

In this study, we outline the synthesis of isatin-ferrocenyl chalcone and 1H-1,2,3-triazole-tethered isatin-ferrocene conjugates along with their antimicrobial evaluation against the human mucosal pathogen Trichomonas vaginalis. The introduction of a triazole ring among the synthesized conjugates improved the activity profiles with most of the compounds in the library, exhibiting 100% growth inhibition in a preliminary susceptibility screen at 100 μM. IC50 determination of the most potent compounds in the set revealed an inhibitory range between 2 and 13 μM. Normal flora microbiome are unaffected by these compounds, suggesting that these may be new chemical scaffolds for the discovery of new …

Bacteriophages Of The Urinary Microbiome, Taylor Miller-Ensminger, Andrea Garretto, Jonathon Brenner, Krystal Thomas-White, Adriano Zambom, Alan J. Wolfe, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

Bacterial viruses (bacteriophages) play a significant role in microbial community dynamics. Within the human gastrointestinal tract, for instance, associations amongst bacteriophages (phages), microbiota stability, and human health have been discovered. In contrast to the gastrointestinal tract, the phages associated with the urinary microbiota are largely unknown. Preliminary metagenomic surveys of the urinary virome indicate a rich diversity of novel lytic phage sequences, at an abundance far outnumbering eukaryotic viruses. These surveys, however, exclude the lysogenic phages residing within the bacteria of the bladder. To characterize this phage population, we examined 181 genomes representative of the phylogenetic diversity of bacterial species …

Do Host‐Associated Gut Microbiota Mediate The Effect Of An Herbicide On Disease Risk In Frogs?, Sarah A. Knutie, Caitlin R. Gabor, Kevin D. Kohl, Jason R. Rohr

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

1. Environmental stressors, such as pollutants, can increase disease risk in wildlife. For example, the herbicide atrazine affects host defences (e.g. resistance and tolerance) of the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), but the mechanisms for these associations are not entirely clear. Given that pollutants can alter the gut microbiota of hosts, which in turn can affect their health and immune systems, one potential mechanism by which pollutants could increase infection risk is by influencing host‐associated microbiota.
2. Here, we test whether early‐life exposure to the estimated environmental concentration (EEC; 200 μg/L) of atrazine affects the gut bacterial composition of …